Cole looks dominant in Double-A victory

By Andrew Simon and Teddy Cahill

May 6, 2014

Right-hander A.J. Cole, the Nationals' No. 2 prospect, struck out seven batters in six scoreless innings on Tuesday in Double-A Harrisburg's 5-1 win over Richmond.

The seven strikeouts were a season high for Cole, who is ranked No. 64 on MLB.com's Top 100 prospects list. He scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter.

Cole pitched well at Harrisburg last year after a late-season promotion, a trend he has carried over into 2014. In six starts this season, he is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA. He has struck out 24 batters and walked four in 28 1/3 innings.

The Nats' No. 7 prospect, Matt Skole, went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the victory. After missing almost all of last year due to injury, he is hitting .169 with a .454 OPS in 24 games this season.

Andrew Simon is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewSimonMLB. Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill.